Light-pulse atom interferometers (LPAI) comprise an evacuated enclosure in which atoms with suitable electronic structure such as alkali atoms can be manipulated using one or more laser beams. Pulsed or continuous atom sources may be used. In a pulsed atom source LPAI, atoms are first collected and cooled using optical and magnetic forces. The atoms are then dropped or launched, typically using the same laser beams that provided cooling. Often the same laser beams then produce the desired internal state of the atoms. The atoms then travel and enter the interferometer region. For the continuous atom source case, atomic beams based on collimated vapor from an oven or 2D-magneto-optic traps may also be used as atom sources, with or without transverse laser cooling. In the continuous atom source case, the transit of the atoms through continuous-wave laser beams defines effective interferometer light pulses. The interferometer region comprises one or more interferometer laser beams such as two-photon stimulated Raman transition beams or multi-photon Bragg beams that are used to create and manipulate a superposition of different internal and/or external atomic states. The interferometer can be configured for sensitivity to accelerations, rotations, laser frequency, or electric and magnetic fields. Finally, the state of the atoms is detected; for example, the probability of an atom being in a particular internal state may be determined by measuring fluorescence of atoms in one or more detection laser beams tuned to appropriate atomic transitions. Three or more interactions with the interferometer beams are required to create the atom interferometer. In many atom interferometers, the velocity of the atoms is not well referenced to the interferometer laser beams and it can change over time due to temperature or mechanical drifts of the sensor. In addition, the velocity of multiple, separated collections of atoms are not well referenced to each other. Because of these uncontrolled velocities, undesired changes in the locations of laser beams or acceleration of the entire sensor may lead to problems of noise, inaccurate measurements or a reduction in signal size.